January 4
January 4 is the fourth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 361 days remaining until the end of the year (362 in leap years). This date is slightly more likely to fall on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday (58 in 400 years each) than on Saturday or Sunday (57), and slightly less likely to occur on a Tuesday or Thursday (56). Contents 1 Events 2 Births 3 Deaths 4 Holidays and observances 5 External links Events 46 BC – Julius Caesar defeats Titus Labienus in the Battle of Ruspina. 871 – Battle of Reading: Æthelred of Wessex fights, and is defeated by, a Danish invasion army. 1490 – Anne of Brittany announces that all those who would ally with the King of France will be considered guilty of the crime of lèse-majesté. 1642 – King Charles I of England sends soldiers to arrest members of Parliament, commencing England's slide into civil war. 1649 – English Civil War: The Rump Parliament votes to put Charles I on trial. 1717 – The Netherlands, Great Britain, and France sign the Triple Alliance. 1762 – Great Britain enters the Seven Years' War against Spain and Naples. 1798 – Constantine Hangerli arrives in Bucharest, Wallachia, as its new Prince, invested by the Ottoman Empire. 1847 – Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the United States government. 1853 – After having been kidnapped and sold into slavery in the American South, Solomon Northup regains his freedom; his memoir Twelve Years a Slave later becomes a national bestseller. 1854 – The McDonald Islands are discovered by Captain William McDonald aboard the Samarang. 1863 – The New Apostolic Church, a Christian and chiliastic church, is established in Hamburg, Germany. 1865 – The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters near Wall Street in New York City. 1878 – Russo-Turkish War (1877–78): Sofia is liberated from Ottoman rule and becomes capital of Liberated Bulgaria in 1879. 1884 – The Fabian Society is founded in London, England, United Kingdom. 1889 – The Oklahoma Land Run opens two million acres of unused Oklahoma Territory to first serve first come settlers on April 22. 1896 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. 1903 – Topsy, an elephant, is electrocuted by the owners of Luna Park, Coney Island. The Edison film company shoots the film Electrocuting an Elephant of Topsy's death. 1912 – The Scout Association is incorporated throughout the British Empire by royal charter. 1944 – World War II: Operation Carpetbagger, involving the dropping of arms and supplies to resistance fighters in Europe, begins. 1948 – Burma gains its independence from the United Kingdom. 1951 – Korean War: Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul. 1955 – The Greek National Radical Union is formed by Konstantinos Karamanlis. 1958 – Sputnik 1 falls to Earth from orbit. 1959 – Luna 1 becomes the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon. 1965 – United States President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaims his "Great Society" during his State of the Union address. 1966 – A military coup takes place in Upper Volta (later Burkina Faso), dissolving the National Parliament and leading to a new national constitution. 1970 – The 7.1 Mw Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). Between 10,000–15,621 were killed and 26,783 were injured. 1972 – Rose Heilbron becomes the first female judge to sit at the Old Bailey in London, England. 1974 – United States President Richard Nixon refuses to hand over materials subpoenaed by the Senate Watergate Committee. 1976 – The Troubles: The Ulster Volunteer Force shoots dead six Irish Catholic civilians in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The next day, gunmen shoot dead ten Protestant civilians nearby in retaliation. 1987 – The Maryland train collision: An Amtrak train en route to Boston from Washington, D.C., collides with Conrail engines in Chase, Maryland, killing 16 people. 1989 – Second Gulf of Sidra incident: A pair of Libyan MiG-23 "Floggers" are shot down by a pair of US Navy F-14 Tomcats during an air-to-air confrontation. 1990 – In Pakistan's deadliest train accident an overloaded passenger train collides with an empty freight train, resulting in 307 deaths and 700 injuries. 1998 – Wilaya of Relizane massacres in Algeria: Over 170 are killed in three remote villages. 1998 – A massive ice storm hits eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, continuing through January 10 and causing widespread destruction. 1999 – Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura is sworn in as governor of Minnesota. 2000 – Two trains on the Røros Line collide in Åsta, Norway, resulting in an explosive fire and 19 deaths. 2004 – Spirit, a NASA Mars rover, lands successfully on Mars at 04:35 UTC. 2004 – Mikheil Saakashvili is elected President of Georgia following the November 2003 Rose Revolution. 2006 – Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel suffers a second, apparently more serious stroke. His authority is transferred to acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. 2007 – The 110th United States Congress convenes, electing Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House in U.S. history. 2010 – Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, is officially opened. 2013 – A gunman kills eight people in a house-to-house rampage in Kawit, the Philippines. Births 1077 – Emperor Zhezong of China (d. 1100) 1334 – Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy (d. 1383) 1581 – James Ussher, Irish archbishop and historian (d. 1656) 1643 – Isaac Newton, English physicist and mathematician (d. 1727) 1664 – Lars Roberg, Swedish physician and academic (d. 1742) 1672 – Hugh Boulter, English-Irish archbishop (d. 1742) 1710 – Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Italian composer, violinist, and organist (d. 1736) 1720 – Johann Friedrich Agricola, German organist and composer (d. 1774) 1785 – Jacob Grimm, German philologist, mythologist, and author (d. 1863) 1809 – Louis Braille, French educator, invented Braille (d. 1852) 1813 – Isaac Pitman, English linguist and educator (d. 1897) 1832 – George Tryon, English admiral (d. 1893) 1838 – General Tom Thumb, American circus performer (d. 1883) 1839 – Carl Humann, German archaeologist, architect, and engineer (d. 1896) 1848 – Katsura Tarō, Japanese general and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1913) 1858 – Carter Glass, American publisher and politician, 47th United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 1946) 1864 – Clara Emilia Smitt, Swedish author (d. 1928) 1869 – Tommy Corcoran, American baseball player and umpire (d. 1960) 1870 – Percy Pitt, English organist and conductor (d. 1932) 1872 – Ottilie Sutro, American pianist (d. 1970) 1872 – Albert Tyler, American pole vaulter and educator (d. 1945) 1874 – Josef Suk, Czech violinist and composer (d. 1935) 1877 – Marsden Hartley, American painter and poet (d. 1943) 1878 – A. E. Coppard, English poet and author (d. 1957) 1878 – Rosa Grünberg, Swedish actress and soprano (d. 1960) 1878 – Augustus John, Welsh painter and illustrator (d. 1961) 1881 – Wilhelm Lehmbruck, German sculptor (d. 1919) 1881 – Patrick Ryan, Irish-American hammer thrower (d. 1964) 1882 – Aristarkh Lentulov, Russian painter and set designer (d. 1943) 1883 – Max Eastman, American author and poet (d. 1969) 1883 – Johanna Westerdijk, Dutch pathologist and academic (d. 1961) 1884 – Guy Pène du Bois, American painter, critic, and educator (d. 1958) 1889 – M. Patanjali Sastri, Indian lawyer and jurist, 2nd Chief Justice of India (d. 1963) 1890 – Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, American publisher, founded DC Comics (d. 1965) 1890 – Victor Adamson; American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor (d. 1972) 1891 – Edward Brooker, English-Australian sergeant and politician, 31st Premier of Tasmania (d. 1948) 1891 – Bryn Lewis, Welsh rugby player and soldier (d. 1917) 1892 – María Díaz Cortés, Spanish super-centenarian (d. 2009) 1893 – Yone Minagawa, Japanese super-centenarian (d. 2007) 1894 – Manuel de Abreu, Brazilian physician and poet (d. 1962) 1895 – Leroy Grumman, American engineer and businessman, co-founded Grumman Aeronautical Engineering Co. (d. 1982) 1896 – Everett Dirksen, American lieutenant and politician (d. 1969) 1896 – Jørgen Løvset, Norwegian gynecologist and academic (d. 1981) 1896 – André Masson, French painter and illustrator (d. 1987) 1896 – Arnold Susi, Estonian lawyer and politician, Estonian Minister of Education (d. 1968) 1900 – James Bond, American ornithologist and zoologist (d. 1989) 1901 – C. L. R. James, Trinidadian journalist and theorist (d. 1989) 1901 – Raoul Berger, Ukrainian-born American attorney and law professor (d. 2000) 1902 – John McCone, American businessman and politician, 6th Director of Central Intelligence (d. 1991) 1905 – Sterling Holloway, American actor and singer (d. 1992) 1909 – J. R. Simplot, American businessman, founded the Simplot Company (d. 2008) 1910 – Arthur Villeneuve, Canadian painter (d. 1990) 1912 – Noro Morales, Puerto Rican-American pianist and bandleader (d. 1964) 1913 – Malietoa Tanumafili II, Samoan ruler (d. 2007) 1914 – Herman Franks, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2009) 1915 – Meg Mundy, English-American actress (d. 2016) 1916 – Slim Gaillard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Slim & Slam) (d. 1991) 1916 – Lionel Newman, American pianist and composer (d. 1989) 1916 – Robert Parrish, American actor and director (d. 1995) 1920 – William Colby, American intelligence officer, 10th Director of Central Intelligence (d. 1996) 1920 – Cris Alexander, American actor, singer, dancer, designer, and photographer (d. 2012) 1922 – Mart Port, Estonian architect (d. 2012) 1922 – Frank Wess, American saxophonist and flute player (New York Jazz Quartet) (d. 2013) 1923 – Tito Rodríguez, Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter and television host (d. 1973) 1924 – Sebastian Kappen, Indian priest and theologian (d. 1993) 1924 – Meta Vannas, Estonian lawyer and politician (d. 2002) 1924 – Marianne Werner, German shot putter 1925 – Veikko Hakulinen, Finnish skier and technician (d. 2003) 1926 – Eddie Cusic, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2015) 1927 – Paul Desmarais, Canadian businessman and philanthropist (d. 2013) 1927 – Barbara Rush, American actress 1929 – Günter Schabowski, German journalist and politician (d. 2015) 1930 – Sorrell Booke, American actor and director (d. 1994) 1930 – Don Shula, American football player and coach 1931 – William Deane, Australian judge and politician, 22nd Governor-General of Australia 1931 – Coşkun Özarı, Turkish footballer and coach (d. 2011) 1932 – Clint Hill, American secret service agent and author 1932 – Roman Personov, Russian physicist and academic (d. 2002) 1932 – Carlos Saura, Spanish director and screenwriter 1932 – Richard Stahl, American actor (d. 2006) 1933 – Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, American author 1934 – Hellmuth Karasek, Czech-German journalist, author, and critic (d. 2015) 1934 – Rudolf Schuster, Slovak politician, 2nd President of Slovakia 1935 – Walter Mahlendorf, German sprinter 1935 – Floyd Patterson, American boxer (d. 2006) 1937 – Grace Bumbry, American operatic soprano 1937 – Dyan Cannon, American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter 1937 – Mick O'Connell, Irish footballer 1938 – Eddie Southern, American hurdler 1940 – Alexander Chancellor, English journalist 1940 – Gao Xingjian, Chinese-French author, playwright, and critic, Nobel Prize laureate 1940 – Helmut Jahn, German-American architect, designed Liberty Place and Messeturm 1940 – Brian Josephson, Welsh physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate 1941 – George P. Cosmatos, Italian-Canadian director and screenwriter (d. 2005) 1941 – Kalpnath Rai, Indian politician (d. 1999) 1941 – Maureen Reagan, American actress and activist (d. 2001) 1941 – K. Thurairetnasingam, Sri Lankan civil servant and politician 1942 – Bolaji Akinyemi, Nigerian political scientist, academic, and politician 1942 – John McLaughlin, English guitarist and songwriter (The Tony Williams Lifetime, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Shakti, and Remember Shakti) 1943 – Doris Kearns Goodwin, American historian and author 1943 – Hwang Sok-yong, South Korean author and educator 1943 – Priit Vesilind, Estonian-American author and photographer 1944 – Angela Harris, Baroness Harris of Richmond, English politician 1944 – Charlie Manuel, American baseball player and manager 1944 – Frank Alesia, American actor and television director (d. 2011) 1945 – Richard R. Schrock, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate 1946 – Lisa Appignanesi Polish-English author and academic 1946 – Arthur Conley, American singer-songwriter (d. 2003) 1947 – Chris Cutler, American-English drummer and songwriter (Henry Cow, Art Bears, News from Babel, Cassiber, The Science Group, and Brainville) 1947 – Marie-Thérèse Letablier, French sociologist and academic 1947 – Rick Stein, English chef and author 1948 – Kostas Davourlis, Greek footballer (d. 1992) 1948 – Cissé Mariam Kaïdama Sidibé, Malian civil servant and politician, Prime Minister of Mali 1949 – Mick Mills, English footballer and manager 1950 – Khondakar Ashraf Hossain, Bangladesh poet and academic (d. 2013) 1951 – Bob Black, American author and activist 1951 – Barbara Cochran, American skier 1953 – Norberto Alonso, Argentinian footballer 1954 – Eugene Chadbourne, American guitarist and songwriter (Shockabilly) 1954 – Tina Knowles, American fashion designer, founded House of Deréon 1955 – Cecilia Conrad, Norwegian economist and academic 1955 – Mark Hollis, English singer-songwriter (Talk Talk) 1956 – Nels Cline, American guitarist and songwriter (Wilco) 1956 – Ann Magnuson, American actress and performance artist 1956 – Sarojini Sahoo, Indian journalist, author, and poet 1956 – Bernard Sumner, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (Joy Division, New Order, Electronic, and Bad Lieutenant) 1957 – Patty Loveless, American singer-songwriter and guitarist 1957 – Gurdas Maan, Indian singer-songwriter 1957 – Vesna Zmijanac, Serbian singer and actress 1958 – Matt Frewer, American-Canadian actor 1958 – Gary Jones, Welsh-Canadian actor and screenwriter 1958 – Julian Sands, English actor 1959 – Vanity, Canadian-American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress (Vanity 6) (d. 2016) 1960 – Gavin Miller, Australian rugby league player 1960 – Michael Stipe, American singer-songwriter and producer (R.E.M. and Automatic Baby) 1961 – Sidney Green, American basketball player and coach 1962 – Natalya Bochina, Russian sprinter 1962 – Harlan Coben, American author 1962 – Joe Kleine, American basketball player and coach 1962 – André Rouvoet, Dutch educator and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands 1962 – Peter Steele, American singer-songwriter and bass player (Type O Negative, Carnivore and Fallout) (d. 2010) 1963 – Igor Astapkovich, Belarusian hammer thrower 1963 – Dave Foley, Canadian comedian, actor, director, and producer 1963 – Till Lindemann, German singer-songwriter (Rammstein and First Arsch) 1964 – Dot Jones, American shot putter and actress 1965 – Yvan Attal, French actor and director 1965 – Guy Forget, French tennis player 1965 – Beth Gibbons, English singer-songwriter (Portishead) 1965 – Craig Revel Horwood, Australian-English dancer, choreographer, and director 1965 – Cait O'Riordan, British bass player and songwriter (The Pogues and The Radiators from Space) 1965 – Julia Ormond, English actress and producer 1965 – Rob Wilson, English politician 1966 – Deana Carter, American singer-songwriter and guitarist 1967 – David Berman, American singer-songwriter (Silver Jews and Ectoslavia) 1967 – Johnny Nelson, English boxer and sportscaster 1967 – David Toms, American golfer and philanthropist 1969 – Corie Blount, American basketball player and coach 1969 – Kostas Frantzeskos, Greek footballer 1969 – Marla Runyan, American runner and long jumper 1969 – Kees van Wonderen, Dutch footballer and manager 1970 – Chris Kanyon, American wrestler (d. 2010) 1971 – Junichi Kakizaki, Japanese botanist and sculptor 1972 – James Longley, American director and producer 1973 – Greg de Vries, Canadian ice hockey player 1973 – Frank Høj, Danish cyclist 1973 – Harmony Korine, American director, producer, and screenwriter 1974 – Danilo Hondo, German cyclist 1974 – Sjur Miljeteig, Norwegian trumpet player and composer 1975 – Shane Carwin, American mixed martial artist and wrestler 1976 – Benoît Joachim, Luxembourgish cyclist 1976 – Ted Lilly, American baseball player 1977 – Irán Castillo, Mexican actress and singer 1977 – Dan Shanahan, Irish hurler and coach 1977 – Ozell Wells, Dominican-American basketball player, coach, and scout 1977 – Tim Wheeler, Northern Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist (Ash) 1978 – Dominik Hrbatý, Slovakian tennis player 1978 – Paul Licuria, Australian footballer 1978 – Mai Meneses, Spanish singer-songwriter and guitarist (Nena Daconte) 1979 – Shergo Biran, German footballer 1979 – Tristan Gommendy, French race car driver 1980 – Miguel Monteiro, Portuguese footballer 1980 – Yaroslav Popovych, Ukrainian cyclist 1981 – Silvy De Bie, Belgian singer (Sylver) 1981 – Hitomi Obara, Japanese wrestler 1982 – Paulo Ferrari, Argentinian footballer 1982 – Kang Hye-jung, South Korean actress and singer 1982 – Richard Logan, English footballer 1982 – Lucie Škrobáková, Czech hurdler 1983 – Spencer Chamberlain, American singer-songwriter (Underoath and Sleepwave) 1983 – Gemma Hunt, English television host 1984 – İbrahim Akın, Turkish footballer 1985 – Danielle Campo, Canadian swimmer 1985 – Lenora Crichlow, English actress 1985 – Gökhan Gönül, Turkish footballer 1985 – Al Jefferson, American basketball player 1985 – Fernando Rees, Brazilian race car driver 1986 – Katrina Halili, Filipino model and actress 1986 – Younès Kaboul, French footballer 1986 – Andrei Krauchanka, Belarusian decathlete 1986 – James Milner, English footballer 1986 – Steve Slaton, American football player 1986 – Hsieh Su-wei, Taiwanese tennis player 1987 – Nikolaj Misiuk, Lithuanian footballer 1987 – Kay Voser, Swiss footballer 1988 – Anestis Argyriou, Greek footballer 1988 – Maximilian Riedmüller, German footballer 1989 – Labrinth, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer 1989 – Jeff Gyasi, Nigerian footballer 1989 – Graham Rahal, American race car driver 1990 – Iago Falqué, Spanish footballer 1990 – Julia Glushko, Israeli tennis player 1990 – Toni Kroos, German footballer 1990 – Alberto Paloschi, Italian footballer 1991 – Stefan Nenadović, Montenegrin footballer 1992 – Kris Bryant, American baseball player Deaths 874 – Hasan al-Askari, Saudi Arabian 11th of the Twelve Imams (b. 846) 1248 – Sancho II of Portugal (b. 1207) 1286 – Anna Komnene Doukaina, Byzantine wife of William II of Villehardouin 1428 – Frederick I, Elector of Saxony (b. 1370) 1564 – Hosokawa Ujitsuna, Japanese commander (b. 1514) 1584 – Tobias Stimmer, Swiss painter and illustrator (b. 1539) 1695 – François-Henri de Montmorency, duc de Luxembourg, French general (b. 1628) 1752 – Gabriel Cramer, Swiss mathematician and physicist (b. 1704) 1761 – Stephen Hales, English clergyman and physiologist (b. 1677) 1782 – Ange-Jacques Gabriel, French architect, designed École Militaire (b. 1698) 1786 – Moses Mendelssohn, German philosopher and theologian (b. 1729) 1804 – Charlotte Lennox, English author and poet (b. 1730) 1821 – Elizabeth Ann Seton, American nun and saint (b. 1774) 1825 – Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies (b. 1751) 1863 – Roger Hanson, American general (b. 1827) 1874 – Thomas Gregson, English-Australian lawyer and politician, 2nd Premier of Tasmania (b. 1798) 1877 – Cornelius Vanderbilt, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1794) 1880 – Anselm Feuerbach, German painter and educator (b. 1829) 1882 – John William Draper, English-American physician, chemist, and photographer (b. 1811) 1883 – Antoine Chanzy, French general (b. 1823) 1891 – Antoine Labelle, Canadian priest (b. 1833) 1896 – Joseph Hubert Reinkens, German bishop and academic (b. 1821) 1901 – Nikolaos Gyzis, Greek painter and academic (b. 1842) 1904 – Anna Winlock American astronomer and academic (b. 1857) 1910 – Léon Delagrange, French pilot and sculptor (b. 1873) 1912 – Clarence Dutton, American geologist and soldier (b. 1841) 1919 – Georg von Hertling, German academic and politician, 7th Chancellor of the German Empire (b. 1843) 1920 – Benito Pérez Galdós, Spanish author and playwright (b. 1843) 1924 – Alfred Grünfeld, Austrian pianist and composer (b. 1852) 1927 – Süleyman Nazif, Turkish poet and civil servant (b. 1870) 1931 – Art Acord, American actor and stuntman (b. 1890) 1931 – Louise, Princess Royal of England (b. 1867) 1931 – Mohammad Ali Jouhar, Indian journalist, activist, and scholar (b. 1878) 1940 – Flora Finch, English-American actress and producer (b. 1867) 1941 – Henri Bergson, French philosopher and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1859) 1943 – Jerzy Iwanow-Szajnowicz, Greek-Polish swimmer and water polo player (b. 1911) 1944 – Kaj Munk, Danish playwright and pastor (b. 1898) 1960 – Albert Camus, Algerian-French philosopher, author, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1913) 1961 – Erwin Schrödinger, Austrian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1887) 1962 – Hans Lammers, German jurist and politician (b. 1879) 1965 – T. S. Eliot, American-English poet, playwright, and critic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1888) 1967 – Donald Campbell, English race car driver and sailor (b. 1921) 1969 – Paul Chambers, American bassist and composer (Miles Davis Quintet) (b. 1935) 1970 – Jean Étienne Valluy, French general (b. 1899) 1975 – Carlo Levi, Italian painter, author, and activist (b. 1902) 1976 – Epameinondas Thomopoulos, Greek painter and illustrator (b. 1878) 1985 – Brian Horrocks, Indian-English general (b. 1895) 1985 – Lovro von Matačić, Croatian conductor and composer (b. 1899) 1986 – Christopher Isherwood, English-American author and academic (b. 1904) 1986 – Phil Lynott, Irish singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (Thin Lizzy, Skid Row, and Grand Slam) (b. 1949) 1988 – Lily Laskine, French harp player (b. 1893) 1990 – Harold Eugene Edgerton, American engineer and academic (b. 1903) 1990 – Henry Bolte, Australian sergeant and politician, 38th Premier of Victoria (b. 1908) 1994 – Marie Orav, Estonian chess player (b. 1911) 1994 – R. D. Burman, Indian singer-songwriter (b. 1939) 1995 – Eduardo Mata, Mexican conductor and composer (b. 1942) 1995 – Sol Tax, American anthropologist and academic (b. 1907) 1996 – Ramón Vinay, Chilean-Mexican tenor and actor (b. 1911) 1997 – Harry Helmsley, American businessman (b. 1909) 1998 – John Gary, American singer-songwriter (b. 1932) 1998 – Mae Questel, American actress (b. 1908) 1999 – Iron Eyes Cody, American actor and stuntman (b. 1904) 2000 – Spyros Markezinis, Greek lawyer and politician, 170th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1909) 2000 – Tom Fears, Mexican-American football player and coach (b. 1922) 2001 – Les Brown, American bandleader and composer (b. 1912) 2001 – Yoshika Yuhnagi, Japanese model (b. 1983) 2003 – Hanno Drechsler, German academic and politician, Mayor of Marburg (b. 1931) 2003 – Sabine Ulibarrí, American poet and critic (b. 1919) 2003 – Yfrah Neaman, Lebanese-English violinist (b. 1923) 2004 – Brian Gibson, English director and screenwriter (b. 1944) 2004 – Jake Hess, American singer (The Statesmen Quartet and Masters V) (b. 1927) 2004 – Joan Aiken, English author (b. 1924) 2004 – John Toland, American historian and author (b. 1912) 2005 – Bud Poile, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (b. 1924) 2005 – Frank Harary, American mathematician and academic (b. 1921) 2005 – Humphrey Carpenter, English radio host and author (b. 1946) 2005 – Robert Heilbroner, American economist and historian (b. 1919) 2006 – Irving Layton, Romanian-Canadian poet and academic (b. 1912) 2006 – Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Emirati politician, 1st Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (b. 1946) 2006 – Milton Himmelfarb, American sociographer, author, and academic (b. 1918) 2007 – Gren, Welsh cartoonist and journalist (b. 1934) 2007 – Helen Hill, American director and producer (b. 1970) 2007 – Lewis Hodges, English air marshal and pilot (b. 1918) 2007 – Steve Krantz, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1923) 2007 – Marais Viljoen, South African politician, 5th State President of South Africa (b. 1915) 2007 – Sandro Salvadore, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1939) 2007 – Jan Schröder, Dutch cyclist (b. 1941) 2008 – Xavier Chamorro Cardenal, Nicaraguan journalist (b. 1932) 2008 – Yannis Tamtakos, Greek activist (b. 1908) 2009 – Gert Jonke, Austrian poet, playwright, and author (b. 1946) 2010 – Sandro de América, Argentine singer and actor (b. 1945) 2010 – Johan Ferrier, Surinamese educator and politician, 1st President of Suriname (b. 1910) 2010 – Tsutomu Yamaguchi, Japanese engineer (b. 1916) 2011 – Mohamed Bouazizi, Tunisian activist (b. 1984) 2011 – Coen Moulijn, Dutch footballer (b. 1937) 2011 – Mick Karn, Cypriot-English bass player and songwriter (Japan, Dalis Car, NiNa, and JBK) (b. 1958) 2011 – Dick King-Smith English author (b. 1922) 2011 – Gerry Rafferty, Scottish singer-songwriter (The Humblebums and Stealers Wheel) (b. 1947) 2011 – Salmaan Taseer, Pakistani businessman and politician, 26th Governor of Punjab, Pakistan (b. 1944) 2012 – Richard Alf, American businessman, co-founded San Diego Comic-Con International (b. 1952) 2012 – Eve Arnold, American photographer and journalist (b. 1912) 2012 – Gatewood Galbraith, American lawyer, author, and politician (b. 1947) 2012 – Kerry McGregor, Scottish singer-songwriter and actress (b. 1974) 2012 – Rod Robbie, English-Canadian architect, designed the Canadian Pavilion and Rogers Centre (b. 1928) 2012 – David Wheeler, American director and producer (b. 1925) 2013 – Pete Elliott, American football player and coach (b. 1926) 2013 – Murray Henderson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1921) 2013 – Sammy Johns, American singer-songwriter (b. 1946) 2013 – Yevgeny Pepelyaev, Russian colonel and pilot (b. 1918) 2013 – Anwar Shamim, Pakistani general (b. 1931) 2013 – Zoran Žižić, Montenegrin politician, 4th Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (b. 1951) 2014 – Jean Metellus, Haitian neurologist, author, poet, and playwright (b. 1937) 2014 – Shirley Jeffrey, Australian biologist and academic (b. 1930) 2015 – Pino Daniele, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1955) 2015 – Chitresh Das, Indian dancer and choreographer (b. 1944) 2016 – Michel Galabru, French actor and playwright (b. 1922) 2016 – S. H. Kapadia, Indian lawyer, judge, and politician, 38th Chief Justice of India (b. 1947) Holidays and observances Christian feast day: Angela of Foligno Elizabeth Ann Seton January 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) The eleventh of the Twelve Days of Christmas. (Western Christianity) Chōna-hajimeshiki at Tsurugaoka Hachimangū. (Kamakura, Japan) Day of the Fallen against the Colonial Repression (Angola) Day of the Martyrs (Democratic Republic of the Congo) Hinukan mukee (Ryukyuan religion) Independence Day (Myanmar), celebrates the independence of Myanmar from the United Kingdom in 1948. Ogoni Day (Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People) World Braille Day External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to January 4. BBC: On This Day The New York Times: On This Day On This Day in Canada Category:Days of the year Category:January